CFP: Reading the American Poets Laureate (11/15/06; collection)

According to the Library of Congress, the poet laureate "serves as thenation's official lightning rod for the poetic impulse of Americans."Relatively little scholarship, however, has been published about thisprominent public position. New and established poets and/or scholarsare encouraged to submit 300-500 word abstracts/proposals for acollection of essays tentatively called Reading the Laureates:Conducting the American Poetic Impulse. Essays should focus on: thework and/or life of one or several laureates of the United States; thehistory and/or politics of the laureateship; one or many of thevarious projects initiated by laureates (e.g., Billy Collins' Poetry180, Robert Pinsky's Favorite Poem Project, Ted Kooser's American Lifein Poetry); teaching the work of one or more laureates; or any topiccontending critically with the position itself.

(Note: The position has existed under two separate titles: from 1937to 1986 as "Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress" and from1986 forward as "Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry." Essays shouldfocus on any "Consultant" or "Laureate" from 1937 to the present.Further information can be found at http://loc.gov/poetry.)